physical activity in a sample of elderly greek people: a ... · physical activity in a sample of...
Post on 14-Jun-2020
0 Views
Preview:
TRANSCRIPT
Quarterly scientific, online publication by Department of Nursing A’, Technological Educational Institute of Athens
Page | 518 Physical activity in a sample of elderly Greek people: a research study
_ORIGINAL ARTICLE_
Physical activity in a sample of elderly Greek people: a research study
Fotoula Babatsikou1, Georgia Gerogianni 2, Sophia Zyga 3, Charilaos Koutis 4
1.Assistant Professor of Nursing, RN, MD, MSc, PhD, Laboratory of Community Heath Nursing, Department of Nursing A΄, Technological Educational Institute (T.E.I.) of Athens, Greece
2.Lecturer of Nursing, RN, MSc, Laboratory of Community Heath Nursing, Department of Nursing A΄, Technological Educational Institute (TEI) of Athens, Greece
3.Assistant Professor, RN, MSc, PhD, University of Peloponnese, Faculty of Human Movement and Quality of Life Sciences, Nursing Department, Sparta, Greece
4.Professor of Hygiene, Epidemiology and Public Health, Laboratory of Epidemiology and Hygiene, Department of Public Health, Technological Educational Institute (T.E.I.) of Athens, Greece
ABSTRACT
The beneficial role of exercise in elderly people has been documented by numerous of studies and is
associated with an improved quality of life and increased longevity.
Aim: The aim of the present study was to assess the physical activity of elderly people in an urban area of
Greek territory.
Material and Methods: The sample consisted of 426 elderly people who came from KAPI (Open Care
Centers for Elderly) in Attica. Participants were men and women, aged of 65 years old and over. For the
assessment of physical activity in elderly people there was conducted a seasonal record (summer / winter)
of hours engaging in the following activities per week: standing, walking, cycling, sports of any kind,
gardening, household tasks and home repairs. Statistical analysis was performed by the package SPSS
12.0.
Results: A large percentage of men (58.6%) and even more women (62.3%) did not exercise regularly.
Only 38.9% of men and 31.5% of women used to walk more than 1 hour a day, while 6.6% of men and
2.5% of women regularly used a bicycle for their transport. Additionally, 76.0% of women engaged in
household tasks for more than 1 hour a day, while the corresponding figure for men was only 7.8%.
Furthermore, 25.7% of men and 21.0% of women were occupied with gardening and home repairs for
more than 1 hour a day.
Conclusions: The present study showed that the participants had limited physical activity in general and
minimal systematic exercise. The systematic exercise is rare in both, men and women, in people over 65
years old. Additionally, some level of physical activity was provided by necessary daily activities, such as
household tasks for women and gardening and home repairs for both sexes. Taking into consideration the
importance of physical activity in health promotion, the present issue should be one of the most
important priorities in public health.
Key words: Physical activity, elderly, regular exercise, urban area, health promotion, Greece.
CORRESPONDING AUTHOR
Fotoula Babatsikou
Department of Nursing A'
Technological and Educational Institute (TEI) of
HEALTH SCIENCE JOURNAL®
Volume 6, Issue 3 (July – September 2012)
Page | 519
E-ISSN: 1791-809X Health Science Journal © All rights reserved www.hsj.gr
Athens
Ag.Spiridonos and Palikaridi
12210 Egaleo
Greece
Work tel: 210-5385659
INTRODUCTION
xercise and physical activity are
beneficial for physical, psychological
and social status. A considerable
number of epidemiological and
clinical studies support that physical
activity is associated with a reduced
mortality and morbidity in coronary
artery disease,1 stroke,2 obesity,3
hypertension,4 hypercholesterolemia5
and diabetes.6
The protective effect of physical activity
is not only direct, but also indirect, since
it helps to improve all the predisposing
factors of cardiovascular diseases
(hypertension, diabetes mellitus,
dyslipidemia and obesity).7 It should be
mentioned that there is a difficulty in
investigation of the mechanisms by
which physical activity protects against
coronary heart disease, independently of
any coexistence of other risk factors. 8
However, it seems to correlate with the
release of some vasodilators and
antithrombotic substances from the
endothelium of vessels. 9
Physical exercise can be defined as any
kind of activity which is conducted for
the improvement of physical condition
and increases the heart rate to 70-85% of
maximum, with the synchronized
operation of many muscle groups
without resistance, - aerobic (isotonic)
exercise - (eg. running, jogging path,
swimming, cycling, participation in team
sports, fitness).
Similarly, physical activity can be
defined as every muscle exercise which
increases the heart rate to 50% of
maximum (eg. household tasks, walking,
gardening, using stairs instead of
elevator, home repairs).10
Additionally, a considerable number of
studies suggest that even a low level of
activity has a protective role against
weight gain and obesity. Thus, it should
be strongly recommended to elderly
people.1,3 A research study conducted
by Dontas et al.,11 showed that the
strongest factor of survival at the age of
≥ 80 years old was the ability to walk
without assistance. It has been shown
that exercises of resistance (strength) are
generally safe for elderly people with
sedentary life and can start slowly and
E
Quarterly scientific, online publication by Department of Nursing A’, Technological Educational Institute of Athens
Page | 520 Physical activity in a sample of elderly Greek people: a research study
progressively (eg. resistance tubes,
weights, springs) aimed at muscle
strengthening in elderly people.12
Despite the proven benefits of physical
activity, WHO13 estimates that over 60%
of adults do not exercise, which results
in increased morbidity and premature
mortality from various diseases, as well
as the appearance of many
socioeconomic problems.14
It is worth noting that physical activity
improves lipid profile, reducing the levels
of plasma triglycerides, VLDL and LDL
cholesterol, and raising levels of HDL
cholesterol.15,16 There have been
reported some positive changes in lipids
in elderly women, after aerobic exercise
programs of moderate intensity, 1 year’s
duration, with a frequency > 3 times a
week.17
On the other hand, no changes in lipids
were observed in research studies
conducted on elderly men and women
who applied aerobic exercises and
resistance exercises for less than 3
months. 18
It should be stressed that physical
activity during leisure time is associated
with a reduced risk for coronary heart
disease.19 Thus, a physical activity of a
moderate intensity, with a total duration
of 20-30 minutes a day, for all days a
week, leads to cardiovascular benefits
and improves the physical condition of
elderly people.20
Comparing to resistance exercises (eg.
weights, springs), aerobic exercises of
moderate intensity (eg. swimming,
cycling, walking 30 minutes a day, three
to five times a week) are recommended
more to elderly people with
hypertension, since they can lead to a
drop of 10 mmHg for systolic blood
pressure and 8 mmHg for diastolic blood
pressure. Thus, aerobic exercises help to
reduce morbidity and mortality from
strokes and coronary artery disease.21,22
Physical activity in elderly people, even
of a moderate intensity and duration, (≥
1 Km walking a day or gardening), has a
beneficial effect on type 2 Diabetes and
is associated with a reduced risk of
mortality from coronary heart disease
and other cardiovascular diseases6,23.
These findings are supported by the
studies of Evans et al.,15 and Di Pietro et
al.,24 who recommend aerobic exercises
of higher intensity for a longer period of
time.
Regarding the interaction between diet
and physical activity, many
epidemiological research studies have
shown that elderly people, although they
maintain the same levels of their food
intake, when they increase their physical
activity they lose weight even for a short
time.25 Additionally, many research
HEALTH SCIENCE JOURNAL®
Volume 6, Issue 3 (July – September 2012)
Page | 521
E-ISSN: 1791-809X Health Science Journal © All rights reserved www.hsj.gr
studies have shown a greater weight loss
when diet was combined with an
increased physical activity. 26
Despite the small overall gain in absolute
terms, the ideal combination of adequate
exercise and healthy eating is mostly
beneficial in terms of maintaining muscle
mass in elderly people.27
Material and Method
Study sample
The sample consisted of 426 people who
came from KAPI (Open Care Centers for
Elderly) in Attica. Participants were men
and women aged of 65 years old and
over. From the total selected 2250 active
members of KAPI approximately, 426
participants (18.93%) examined
randomly, of which there were 245
women and 181 men. To ensure the
widest possible representation of all the
members of KAPI, there were conducted
visits in each KAPI which covered
commensurate all days of the week, both
morning and evening hours. The limited
rate of refusal did not differ statistically
significantly between the 8 (eight) KAPI.
Methodology
The data collection was made by
interviews between the researcher and
the elderly people, as well as the use of
some instruments for measuring blood
pressure and anthropometric indices.
Before the survey, each elderly
participant had to sign a form of
information and a voluntary agreement,
and received a copy of the form.
All the elderly participants completed a
questionnaire concerning their health
status, a questionnaire about the
frequency of food consumption, and a
questionnaire concerning their physical
activity. In the questionnaire of physical
activity, there was undertaken a seasonal
record (summer / winter) of hours
engaging in the following activities per
week: mandatory standing, walking (e.g.
work, entertainment, shopping), sports
(e.g. swimming, running, basketball,
aerobics, volleyball), cycling (e.g. work,
entertainment, shopping), gardening,
household tasks (e.g. cooking, cleaning,
care of children, grandchildren, washing)
and home repairs. Additionally, the
questionnaire included questions of
anthropometry (e.g. height and weight
changes during the last five years).
Based on information about physical
activity, it was calculated the average
daily duration of various types of
physical activity. This duration was
multiplied with the metabolic equivalent
index (metabolic equivalent - MET),
which is a multiple of metabolic rate at
rest.28 Finally, the individual products
Quarterly scientific, online publication by Department of Nursing A’, Technological Educational Institute of Athens
Page | 522 Physical activity in a sample of elderly Greek people: a research study
summed at the total MET-hours, which
constitute an estimate of the daily
physical activity and expresses the
energy spent on a typical day per
kilogram of weight.
Apart from that, participants completed
a form of anthropometric characteristics
(e.g. measurement of body weight,
height and circumference of chest, waist
and hips). According to the instructions
given to participants, they should wear
light clothes and remove their shoes
before the measurement of height and
weight.
All the measurements were conducted
with the same weighted organs in the
total sample and carried out under
standard procedures derived from the
protocol of the research study. They are
as follows:
1. The blood pressure measurements
were made with a stethoscope and
a mercury sphygmomanometer,
with a tube size 12x35cm (the
length of the cuff tube covered at
least 80% of the arm).
2. The weight measurements were
made by an electronic balance
accurate to 0,1 Kg.
3. The measurements of stature were
made by a classified height
accurate to 0,1 cm.
4. The measurement of the
circumference of the chest, waist
and hips was made by a
measurement strip.
5. It was estimated the body mass
index (BMI as [kg/m2]).
In the present research study, there were
strictly followed all the ethical principles
concerning every research study. (e.g.
Participants’ responses were not notified
to anyone, even to the other volunteers
who participated in the research study).
Quantitative data were analysed using
the Statistical Package for Social
Sciences (SPSS) 12.0. The significance
level of the present study was p <0.05.
Results
The present research study was focused
on a data from a sample of 426 elderly
people who used to go to KAPI in Attica
frequently. However, the sample is not
totally representative of all the elderly
population in Attica, due to the factors
involved in selecting people who used to
go to KAPI and the choice of those who
cooperated with the study. Nevertheless,
the data which are presented in Table 1
do not differ significantly from the
distribution patterns of the elderly
population in Greece.
Thus, a small percentage of elderly
people have education beyond high
school of 6 grades, while this small
percentage is relatively higher in men
(6.1%) than women (2.0%). Regarding
HEALTH SCIENCE JOURNAL®
Volume 6, Issue 3 (July – September 2012)
Page | 523
E-ISSN: 1791-809X Health Science Journal © All rights reserved www.hsj.gr
marital status, a significant percentage of
women (34.7%) live alone, while this
figure is very small in men (9.9%). All
men reported that they work or worked
in the past, while 20% of women
reported that they had never had work
with pay.
Table 2 presents the anthropometric
characteristics of the study sample.
Factors of sample selection are more
affecting sociodemographic
characteristics than anthropometric
characteristics and nutrition. Thus, data
in Table 2 are more general. The stature
of men is significantly greater than that
of women, approximately 10 cm, while
the weight of men is only slightly larger
than that of women. Thus, the BMI
(Body Mass Index - BMI) is significantly
higher in women.
As a result of this, almost two thirds of
women (63.3%) can be described as
obese, while the corresponding figure for
men is 41.4%. It is obvious that obesity,
which is regarded as an important
problem in Greek people, concerns
elderly people as well, and especially
women. Although women have a higher
BMI, they have an advantage concerning
the perimeter ratio of waist to hip (waist-
to-hip ratio - W / H), which is positively
associated with morbidity and mortality.
Table 3 presents the physical activity of
the study sample. Physical activity of the
participants is generally limited and
systematic exercise is minimal. A large
percentage of men (58.6%) and even
more women (62.3%) did not exercise
regularly. Only 38.9% of men and 31.5%
of women walked more than 1 hour a
day, while 6.6% of men and 2.5% of
women regularly used a bicycle for their
transport. Additionally, 76.0% of women
engaged in household tasks for more
than 1 hour a day, while the
corresponding figure for men was only
7.8%. Furthermore, 25.7% of men and
21.0% of women were involved in
gardening and home repairs for more
than 1 hour a day. The data which are
presented in Table 3 are relative to
specific activities during a week, with an
exception of the total activity expressed
in MET-hours, which covers a typical
day.
It is worth noting that due to increased
involvement of the participated women
in household tasks, which have a degree
of energy requirements, the participated
women had more physical activity than
men in the present study.
In Table 4, men and women of the
sample are divided according to their
consumption of glasses of alcoholic
drinks a day and their smoking habits. It
Quarterly scientific, online publication by Department of Nursing A’, Technological Educational Institute of Athens
Page | 524 Physical activity in a sample of elderly Greek people: a research study
should be noted that, regardless of the
type of any alcoholic drink, a glass of a
drink usually contains 10 g of alcohol.
For this reason, drinks with high alcohol
content are generally provided in small
quantities (e.g. ouzo), while drinks with
low alcohol content are generally
provided in larger quantities (e.g. beer).
A small percentage of women (22%) and
even a smaller percentage of men in this
study (8.8%) did not consume alcohol,
while the majority of men and women
had a moderate consumption of ethanol.
However, men used to consume
relatively larger quantities of ethanol
than women.
Regarding smoking habits, there is a
clear differentiation between men and
women. More than two thirds of men are
or have been smokers, although only
13.8% of them still continue to smoke.
On the other hand, less than one quarter
of women are or have been smokers, but
half of them still continue to smoke.
Tables 5 and 6 present parameters of
morbidity, which are examined as
dependent variables in a logistic
regression of multivariate dependencies
for qualitative categorical variables. In
each case, independent variables are sex
and age, and factors that probably play a
role in the dependent variable
(explanatory or non-relationship) either
from literature or from data.
In Table 5, the importance of findings
about the history of coronary heart
disease is done by flexible criteria, due to
the limited number of observations and
taking into consideration bibliographic
data. Thus, it seems that women have a
lower incidence of coronary heart
disease history than men. Additionally,
diabetes and smoking increase the risk of
coronary heart disease, while physical
activity tends to reduce this risk.
The negative relationship between
physical activity and prostate
hyperplasia is remarkable in the present
study, although data are not statistically
significant (p ~ 0,103).
Discussion
Taking into account the
sociodemographic characteristics of the
sample (Table 1), the elderly population
should become a priority of public
health, since in Greece more than one
third of women and one tenth of men
live alone. The elderly people who live
alone are the most vulnerable group in
natural disasters. The other
characteristics of the study sample, and
especially the relatively low level of
academic education, are compatible with
the corresponding characteristics of the
Greek population at this age.29, 30
The anthropometric characteristics of
the participants in this study (Table 2)
HEALTH SCIENCE JOURNAL®
Volume 6, Issue 3 (July – September 2012)
Page | 525
E-ISSN: 1791-809X Health Science Journal © All rights reserved www.hsj.gr
indicate that obesity, which is regarded
as a serious problem in Greek
population, concerns elderly people as
well, since almost two thirds of women
and more than 40% of men are obese,
which means that they have BMI greater
than 30 kg/m2.
It is worth noting that less than 10% of
the examined elderly people had an
acceptable body mass index (i.e. less
than 25 kg/m2). Many research studies
have showed that obesity is one of the
most important modern health problems
of the Greek population.31 For this
reason, emphasis should be placed in
childhood, where there are the roots of
many problems in adult life.29
The main objective of addressing obese
patients is the reduction of
cardiovascular risk, and this can be
achieved through a combination of
proper diet, regular physical activity and
modification of general behavior.3, 26
Regarding hypertension, regular physical
exercise is beneficial for both, prevention
and treatment of hypertension. An
exercise program of moderate or low
intensity (walking, swimming, cycling) in
people with hypertension, leads to a
greater fall of blood pressure than a high
intensity exercise program.21, 32, 33
Additionally, a change in way of life in
elderly people (weight loss, diet, physical
activity) is associated with a significant
reduction of risk factors from diabetes
and cardiovascular death.23, 34 However,
morbidity and mortality mainly affect
the elderly people, and therefore any
delay or postponement in the treatment
of a problem cannot be justified at this
age.
It has been documented that physical
exercise is a crucial factor of longevity,
since a level of physical activity in daily
life contributes to a reduction of all
negative effects of age. For this reason, it
should be recommended at people of
every age, including people at third age. 35
However, few elderly people have
desirable levels of physical activity and
this contributes to high rates of obesity,
which were observed in this study. These
findings are supported by the study of
Gnardelli et al.,36 who found that
physical activity displays a significant
decrease from the age of 55 years old
and over. Regarding the relationship of
age with physical activity, with the
increase of age there is a parallel
decrease in physical activity. Similarly,
in the present study, people aged of 65-
79 years of both sexes showed a
significantly higher rate of physical
activity than those aged of 80-90 years
old.
Quarterly scientific, online publication by Department of Nursing A’, Technological Educational Institute of Athens
Page | 526 Physical activity in a sample of elderly Greek people: a research study
Additionally, in this study, men and
women aged of 65-74 years old used to
walk more than 1 hour a day. These
findings agree with the study of Avlund
et al.,37 where individuals aged of 70-79
years old had not reduced their
participation in walking. Similarly, the
study of EPIC showed that Greek men
and women aged of 65-74 years old
walked 5, 7 hours a week and 4, 7
respectively.38
The physical activities which are mostly
carried out by elderly women are
associated with activities of daily living,
such as walking, shopping, cleaning,
cooking, washing and caring for family
members. There is also a selective
involvement of women in household
tasks. In this study, the total physical
activity of elderly women was higher
than that of men, since the household
tasks and the care of the family or the
care of someone else seems to help
women to continue to be more active
than men even at an old age. These
findings agree with the findings of Schuit
et al.,39 and EPIC.40
Finally, the involvement of both sexes in
home repairs and gardening, perhaps
because of the fact that most
participants had rural origin, are
activities that provide some level of
physical activity. However, systematic
exercise (aerobics, jogging and
swimming) was rare in both sexes.
Concerning bicycle, it does not seem to
get used regularly, apart from a
percentage of 6.6% of men and 2.5% of
women who use it for shopping, exercise,
travel, work. This may happen due to
their fear of falling on rough roads and
the lack of bicycle paths in the above
municipalities.
Conclusions
In conclusion, it could be stressed that a
serious matter that should concern
health professionals in public health in
Greece is the limited physical activity of
the elderly people, since only about 40%
of men and 30% of women walk more
than 1 hour a day. Taking into
consideration the importance of physical
activity in health promotion and quality
of life, the above issue should be one of
the most important priorities in public
health, and particularly for the
continuous growing population of
elderly people.
Additionally, the State should reinforce
programs aimed at increasing and
maintaining physical activity in elderly
people. All the programs should be
affordable for every socioeconomic level
and designed in such a way that meets
the abilities and limitations of elderly
people.
HEALTH SCIENCE JOURNAL®
Volume 6, Issue 3 (July – September 2012)
Page | 527
E-ISSN: 1791-809X Health Science Journal © All rights reserved www.hsj.gr
REFERENCES
1. Hu G, Tuomilehto J, Silventoinen K,
Barengo N, Jousilahti P. Joint effects
of physical activity, body mass index,
waist circumference and waist-to-hip
ratio with the risk of cardiovascular
disease among middle-aged Finish
men and women. Eur Heart J 2004;
25(24): 2183-2184.
2. Pitsavos C, Panagiotakos DB,
Chrysohoou C, Kokkinos P, Menotti
A, Singh S Dontas A. Physical activity
decreases the risk of stroke in middle-
age men with left ventricular
hypertrophy: 40-year follow-up
(1961-2001) of the Seven Countries
Study (the Corfu cohort). J Hum
Hypertens 2004;18(7):495-501.
3. Di Francesco V, Zamboni M, Zoico E,
Bortolani A, Maggi S, Bissoli L,
Zivelonghi A, Guariento S, Bosello O.
Relationships between leisure-time
physical activity, obesity and
disability in elderly men. Aging Clin
Exp Res 2005; 17(3): 201-206.
4. Kokkinos PF, Papademetriou V.
Exercise and hypertension. Cor Artery
Dis 2000; 11(3): 99-102.
5. Kostka T, Lacour J, Bonnefoy M.
Response of blood lipids to physical
exercise in elderly subjects. Prev
Cardiol 2001; 4(3): 122-125.
6. Smith TC, Wingard DL, Smith B,
Krtz-Silverstein D, Barrett-Connor E.
Walking decreased risk of
cardiovascular disease mortality in
older adults with diabetes. J Clin
Epidemiol 2007; 60(3):309-317.
7. Drewnowski A, Evans WJ. Nutrition,
physical activity and quality of life in
older adults: summary. J Gerontol A
Biol Sci Med Sci 2001; 56(Spec No 2):
89-94.
8. Babatsikou F. Cardiovascular risk
factors in elderly. Review of Clinical
Pharmacology and Pharmacokinetics,
International Edition 2010; 24 (3):
265-270.
9. Babatsikou F. Epidemiological data of
cardiovascular diseases in the elderly.
To Vima tou Asklipiou
(vima‐asklipiou.gr) 2010; 9 (3):230-
242 (In Greek).
10. Hui EK, Rubenstein LZ. Promoting
physical activity and exercise in older
adults. J Am Med Dir Assoc 2006;
7(5): 310-314.
11. Dontas AS,Toupadaki N, Tzonou A,
Kasviki-Charvati P. Survival in the
oldest old: death risk factors in old
and very old subjects. J Aging Health
1996; 8(2): 220-237.
12. Hass CJ, Feigenbaum MS, Franklin
BA. Prescription of resistance training
Quarterly scientific, online publication by Department of Nursing A’, Technological Educational Institute of Athens
Page | 528 Physical activity in a sample of elderly Greek people: a research study
for healthy populations. Sports Med
2001; 31(14): 953-964.
13. WHO. Annual Global Move for Health
Initiative; A Concept Paper:
World Health Organization 2003.
14. Katzmarzyk PT, Janssen I. The
economic costs associated with
physical inactivity and obesity in
Canada: un update. Can J Appl
Physiol 2004; 29(1): 90-115.
15. Evans EM, Racette SB, Peterson LR,
Villareal DT, Greiwe JS, Holloszy JO.
Aerobic power and insulin action
improve in response to endurance
exercise training in healthy 77-87 yr
olds. J Appl Physiol 2005; 98(1): 40-
45.
16. Babatsikou F, Metaxa, M, Koutis, C.
Epidemiology of hyperlipidemia in
elderly. Epitheorese Klinikes
Farmakologias kai Farmakokinetikes
2009; 27 (2):137-142 (In Greek).
17. Kushi LH, Fee RM, Folsom AR, Mink
PJ, Anderson KE, Sellers TA. Physical
activity and mortality in
postmenopausal women. JAMA 1997;
277(16): 1287-1292.
18. Fonong T, Toth JM, Ades AP, Katzel
IL Calles-Escandon J, Poehlman Te.
Relationship between physical
activity and HDL-cholesterol in
healthy older men and women. A
cross-sectional and exercise
intervention study. Atherosclerosis
1996; 127(2): 177-183.
19. Malmberg J, Millunpato S, Pasanen M,
Vuori I, Oja P. Characteristics of
leisure-time physical activity
associated with risk of decline in
perceived health-a 10-year follow-up
of middle-aged and elderly men and
women. Prev Med 2005; 41(1):141-
150.
20. Brach JS, Simonsick EM, Kritchevsky
S, Yaffe K, Newman AB. The
association between physical function
and lifestyle activity and exercise in
the health, aging and body
composition study. J Am Geriatr Soc
2004;52(4):502-509.
21. Stewart KJ. Exercise training and the
cardiovascular consequences of type
2 diabetes and hypertension:
plausible mechanisms for improving
cardiovascular health. JAMA 2002;
288(13): 1622-1631.
22. Gandasentana R.D, Kusumaratna R.
K. Physical activity reduced
hypertension in the elderly and cost-
effective. Univ Med 2011;30 (3):173-
181.
23. Grandall J, Schade D, Ma Y, Fujimoto
WY, Barrett-Conor E. The influence
of age on the effects of lifestyle
modification and metformin in
prevention of diabetes. J Gerontol A
HEALTH SCIENCE JOURNAL®
Volume 6, Issue 3 (July – September 2012)
Page | 529
E-ISSN: 1791-809X Health Science Journal © All rights reserved www.hsj.gr
Biol Sci Med Sci 2006; 61(10): 1075-
1081.
24. Di Pietro L, Dziura J, Yeckel CW,
Neufer PD. Exercise and improved
insulin sensitivity in older women:
evidence of the enduring benefits of
higher intensity training. J Appl
Physiol 2006; 100(1):142-149.
25. Fogelholm M, Kukkonen-Harjula K.
Does physical activity prevents
weight gain- a systematic review.
Obes Rev 2000; 1(2): 95-111.
26. Villareal DT, Banks M, Sinacore DR,
Siener C, Klein S. Effect of weight
loss and exercises on frailty in obese
older adults. Arch intern Med
2006;166(8):860-866.
27. Dontas AS, Moschandreas J, Kafatos
A. Physical activity and nutrition in
older adults. Public Health Nutr 1999;
2(3A): 429-436.
28. Ainsworth Be, Haskell Wl, Whitt MC,
Irwin ML, Swartz AM, Strath SJ et al.
Compendium of physical activities:
Classification of energy codes and
MET intensities. Med Sci Sports Exerc
2000;32 (S9):S498-S504.
29. Babatsikou F. The health of elderly in
Attica, Greece and factors affecting it.
Doctoral Thesis. Athens, 2007.
30. Babatsikou F. Trend of the
demographic indices over time in the
Greek population. To Vima tou
Asklipiou (vima‐asklipiou.gr) 2009;
8(4): 275-290 (In Greek).
31. Mamalakis G, Kafatos A. prevalence of
obesity in Greece. Int J Obes 1996; 20
(5):488-492.
32. Ogihara T, Rakugi H. Hypertension in
the elderly: a Japanese perspective.
Drugs Aging 2005; 22(4): 297-314.
33. Babatsikou F, Zavitsanou A.
Epidemiology of hypertension in the
elderly. Health Science Journal 2010;
4 (1): 24-30.
34. Wannamethee SG, Shaper AG,
Walker M. Overweight and obesity
and weight change in middle aged
men: impact on cardiovascular
disease and diabetes. J Epidemiol
Community Health 2005; 59(2): 134-
139.
35. Trichopoulou A, Costacou T, Bamia
C, Trichopoulos D. Adherence to a
Mediterranean diet and survival in a
Greek population. N Engl J Med 2003;
348(26):2599-2608.
36. Gnardellis C, Lagiou A, Chloptsios I,
Benetou V, Trichopoulou A.
Estimation of physical activity in
epidemiological studies. The Greek
Experience in the context of the EPIC
study. Iatriki 1999; 76(6):551-558. (In
Greek).
37. Avlund K, Sakari- Rantala R,
Rantanen T, Pedersen A.N. Frandin
Quarterly scientific, online publication by Department of Nursing A’, Technological Educational Institute of Athens
Page | 530 Physical activity in a sample of elderly Greek people: a research study
K, Schroll M. Tiredness and onset of
walking limitations in older adults.
Journal oft he American Geriatrics
Society 2004;52 (11):1963-1965.
38. Trichopoulou A, Orfanos P, Norat T,
Bueno-de-Mesquita B, Ocke MC,
Peeters PH, van der Schouw YT et al.
Modified Mediterranean diet and
survival: EPIC-elderly prospective
cohort study. BMJ 2005; 330(7498):
991-995.
39. Schuit A.J, Schouten E.G, Westerterp
K.R, Saris W.H. Validity of the
Physical Activity Scale for he elderly
(PASE) according to energy
expenditure assessed by the doubly
labeled water method. Journal of
Clinical Epidemiology 1997;
50(5):541-546.
40. Valanou E, Bamia C, Chlopttsios G,
Koliva M, Trichopoulou A. Physical
activity of 28.030 men and women oft
he Greek EPIC cohort. Archives of
Hellenic Medicine 2006; 23(2):149-
158 (In Greek).
HEALTH SCIENCE JOURNAL®
Volume 6, Issue 3 (July – September 2012)
Page | 531
E-ISSN: 1791-809X Health Science Journal © All rights reserved www.hsj.gr
ANNEX
Table 1. Sociodemographic characteristics of the elderly sample from KAPI in
Attica
(n = 426)
Men (n=181) N (%)
Women (n=245) N (%)
Age (years) 65-69 70-74 75+
43 (23.8) 61 (33.7) 77 (42.5)
128 (52.3) 63 (25.7) 54 (22.0)
Education <6 years 7-12 years >12 years
131 (72.4) 39 (21.5) 11 (6.1)
200 (81.6) 37 (15.1) 5 (2.0)
Cohabitation No With spouse/ partner With children With spouse and children With other
18 (9.9)
100 (55.2) 10 (5.5)
53 (29.3)
85 (34.7) 77 (31.4) 41 (16.7) 42 (17.1)
Work in the past or now No 0 (0.0) 49 (20.0) Yes 181 (100.0) 196 (80.0)
Table 2. Anthropometric characteristics of the elderly sample from KAPI in
Attica (n = 426)
Men (n=181) N (%)
Women (n=245) N (%)
Stature (m) <1,50 1,50-1,54 1,55-1,59 1,60-1,64 1,65+
-
4 (2.2) 24 (13.3) 42 (23.2) 111 (61.3)
61 (24.9) 77 (31.4) 67 (27.3) 32 (13.1) 8 (3.3)
Weight (kg) <70 70-74 75-79 80-84 85-89 90+
23 (12.7) 23 (12.7) 30 (16.6) 33 (18.2) 32 (17.7) 40 (22.1)
82 (33.5) 43 (17.6) 39 (15.9) 36 (14.7) 15 (6.1) 30 (12.2)
BMI (kg/m2)
Quarterly scientific, online publication by Department of Nursing A’, Technological Educational Institute of Athens
Page | 532 Physical activity in a sample of elderly Greek people: a research study
<24,99 25-29,9 30+
19 (10.5) 87 (48.1) 75 (41.4)
15 (6.1) 75 (30.6)
155 (63.3) Perimeter ratio of waist/ hip (cm) <0,92 0,93-0,98 0,99-1,03 1,04+
12 (6.6)
26 (14.4) 68 (37.6) 75 (41.4)
90 (36.7) 71 (29.0) 58 (23.7) 26 (10.6)
Table 3. Physical activity (hours per week)
Men (n=181) N (%)
Women (n=245) N (%)
Walking 0 14 (7.8) 18 (7.5) 0,5-7,0 96 (53.3) 146 (61.1) 7,1+ 70 (38.9) 75 (31.4) Cycling 0 169 (93.4) 234 (97.5) 0,5+ 12 (6.6) 6 (2.5) Sports 0 106 (58.6) 152 (62.3) 0,5+ 75 (41.4) 92 (37.7) Household tasks 0 100 (55.9) 8 (3.3) 0,5-7,0 65 (36.3) 50 (20.7) 7,1+ 14 (7.8) 184 (76.0) Gardening/ home repairs 0 69 (38.5) 120 (49.4) 0,5-7,0 64 (35.8) 72 (29.6) 7,1+ 46 (25.7) 51 (21.0) MET*- Hours of daily activity <25,65 73 (42.2) 29 (12.6) 25,66-28,49 50 (28.9) 49 (21.2) 28,50-31,96 25 (14.5) 77 (33.3) 31,97+ 25 (14.5) 76 (32.9)
* MET = metabolic equivalent. (The categories listed in quarters derived from
the whole sample (men and women together).
Table 4. Habits of life
Men (n=181) N (%)
Women (n=245) N (%)
HEALTH SCIENCE JOURNAL®
Volume 6, Issue 3 (July – September 2012)
Page | 533
E-ISSN: 1791-809X Health Science Journal © All rights reserved www.hsj.gr
Alcohol consumption (glasses/ day)
0 16 (8.8) 54 (22.0) <1 76 (42.0) 147 (60.0) 2-3 80 (44.2) 43 (17.6) 4+ 9 (5.0) 1 (0.4) Smoking Non- smokers
57 (31.5)
190 (77.6)
Former smokers 99 (54.7) 27 (11.0) Smokers 25 (13.8) 28 (11.4)
Table 5. Logistic regression of history of coronary heart disease on the
mentioned independent variables.
OR 95% CI p value
Sex (female to male) 0.31 0.15 – 0.66 0.002
Age (per 5 years) 0.87 0.70 – 1.09 0.252
Smoking (gradient: never/ former
and present with <20 cigarettes/day,
former and current ≥ 20 cigarettes/
day)
1.28 0.87 – 1.87 0.208
Physical activity (per 1 MET-hour) 0.96 0.90 – 1.03 0.227
Diabetes (yes to no) 1.77 0.97 – 3.23 0.065
Table 6. Logistic regression of prostate hyperplasia history on physical activity.
OR 95% CI P value
Age (per 5 years) 1.02 0.76 – 1.37 0.889
ΒΜΙ (per 5 kg/m2) 1.20 0.78 – 1.84 0.419
Physical activity (per 1 MET-hour) 0.93 0.86 – 1.01 0.103
top related